Crime Suppression Division police decided on Tuesday to press charges against 15 individuals, including eight footballers, for alleged involvement in the match-fixing of Toyota Thai League soccer tournament 2017.

The national police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, said Tuesday that this was the first case of its kind when a group of footballers, financiers and a referee were charged with football match fixing.

Accompanied by CSD police handling the case, the national police chief handed over the case file to Mr Pornchai Chalavanichkul, deputy director-general of the Prosecution.

He told the media that he was confident that the police had a strong case to pin down all the perpetrators in the match-fixing scam.

After receiving the case file, Mr Pornchai said he would form a panel to scrutinize the police case file and, if there is any doubt about the case, he would invite the police officers in charge of the case for questioning. He added that the prosecutor might agree or disagree with the police in proceeding with the charges against all the 15 individuals or some of them.

The penalties for those who offer or receive bribes for match fixing are five years’ imprisonment and/or a fine from 200,000-500,000 baht, but, for a referee, the penalties are higher: 1-10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of 300,000-600,000 baht.

Former police chief and president of Football Association of Thailand Somyot Poompunmuang filed a complaint with the Royal Thai Police last week accusing of match-fixing of four matches of the Toyota Thai League Tournament 2017.
CSD police summoned 16 individuals to the CSD command today (Tuesday) to be notified of the decision of the police investigators to press charges against 15 of them. The police decided to drop charge against Mr Kantapat Srirattanachote.